


Tomorrow Will Be Better

by KatieComma



Series: MacGyverAppreciationFortnight [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Comfort, Gen, Panic Attacks, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 06:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16012409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma
Summary: Jill is trying to deal with being held at gunpoint by fake Dr Zito. Mac comforts her.





	Tomorrow Will Be Better

**Author's Note:**

> For the #MacGyverAppreciationFortnight happening over on Tumblr.
> 
> This is a post-ep/coda for Cigar Cutter 121 - just a little blip of what's going on with Jill and Mac being the nicest guy ever, like he normally is.

Jill stumbled outside, barely paying attention to where she was walking, and collapsed to sit on a concrete planter. Her breath came in jagged gulps and she started to get dizzy from the excess oxygen intake.

For the last few hours she’d been on autopilot, helping with cleanup, working with medical to make sure everyone was ok, waiting for the all clear to leave the Phoenix. Now, without those goals to guide her actions, released back out into the world, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself and her mind had picked for her: Panic.

The gun that fake Dr Zito had held on her only a few hours ago had grazed her skin a few times. It had been cold and menacing. She’d never been held at gunpoint before. Never held a real gun. Never really been near them at all. She’d never thought it would be so scary.

Footsteps approached and she startled, turning quickly, assuming a threat. But it was just Mac and Jack, headed to the parking lot.

Mac caught her eye on the way by and stopped.

Jack turned back to look at his partner. “Come on man, let’s bounce! We got a fridge full’a leftovers waitin’ on us and I could eat a horse right about now,” He said to Mac.

Jill looked down at the ground, trying to get her breathing under control.

She heard the clap of a hand on a shoulder, and then Mac’s voice. “I’ll be right there man. Just give me a minute.”

“Alright, but you better hurry your ass up or I’m leavin’ without you,” Jack said.

Jill leaned over her knees, trying to get her breathing under control, watching the sidewalk. Mac’s feet came into her line of sight and he sat down next to her on the planter.

“You alright?” He asked.

“I’m fine,” she barked out stubbornly.

“Are you sure?” He asked. “From the way you’re breathing, I think you might be hyperventilating. Maybe having a panic attack?”

How could he be so cool, calm and collected after the day he’d had? She’d only been held at gunpoint, MacGyver had fought a room full of terrorists and blown up half the building. And here he was asking if _she_ was ok.

Jill’s glasses, which were perpetually sliding down her nose, dropped from her face and hit the ground with a loud crack. She fully folded in half and put her face down to her knees, squishing her nose against the warm skin there. She wanted to scream and cry and let out all the things that had been pent up since she’d been grabbed and used as a hostage. But she didn’t. Of all the people she didn’t want to have a breakdown in front of, MacGyver was top of the list. Still a relatively new hire, she wasn’t super excited about her first impression being the girl in the short skirt melting down in the parking lot.

Once she was able to swallow back down the torrent of feelings she sat back up and looked over at Mac, hoping she wasn’t too much of a wreck.

“Jill, right?” Mac asked, handing her glasses back. “You’re the new forensic tech?”

“Yeah,” she sighed, sliding the big black framed glasses back onto her face.

“Bet you didn’t expect explosions and black ops guys infiltrating your lab huh?” Mac asked.

Jill laughed involuntarily. Like her brain had thought: hey that was funny, no choice, laughter coming right up. “It definitely was not in the brochure,” she said. “I expected boring lab work, analyzing samples, running DNA, not being held hostage at gunpoint.”

“Well, the bad guys are in custody, and we’re all alright,” Mac said. “I can almost 100% guarantee that tomorrow will be just running samples and analysis.”

“Almost?” She asked.

Mac laughed and looked out to the parking lot where Jack had brought the car around and was honking repeated. “Well, with Jack around there’s never a 100% guarantee of anything.” He paused and looked back at Jill. “You need a ride home?”

She shook her head. “No, I think I’m good, thanks.”

Mac stood up and headed toward the car, but he turned and looked back with a hopeful and questioning look on his face. “See you tomorrow?”

Jill nodded. “See you tomorrow.”

Once they’d driven off, she stood up and made her way to her car, legs still a little shaky, but feeling more at ease.


End file.
